Smart working a reality in contact centers

[nusratjahan]

The need to remain operational during the lockdown pushed most contact centers to work remotely, and smart working is now becoming a stable organizational approach, popular with operators and functional for contact centers.
Relocating thousands of workstations to remote locations was no easy feat, but it allowed all the customer relationship activities that contact centers handle every day to remain intact.Assocontact, the Contact Center trade association, immediately launched a survey to monitor this buy bulk sms service challenging transformation process, identify its current and future challenges, and promote its immediate, widespread, and effective adoption by all means necessary. It subsequently commissioned Noicon to conduct a survey to understand the impact of smart working on contact center organization and employee expectations. The research was conducted in parallel with that conducted by SWG , which provided a portrait of the contact center industry through employee perceptions. The characteristics that emerged contrast sharply with the image usually associated with contact center work, which is defined as stable work that satisfies operators so much that they consider it their permanent job and recommend it to others. Workers are also satisfied with the introduction of smart working, so much so that they are requesting it become a permanent option. The advantages, according to the survey, include less travel and consequently cost savings, as well as greater personal flexibility. Areas requiring improvement primarily concern technical aspects related to connection stability and communication with other colleagues and team leaders.

We asked Federico Bianchi, founder of Smartworking srl, to comment on the results.

What aspects of the research should be highlighted?

I'm struck by the fact that the model most requested by respondents is fully remote rather than flexible. Indeed, over 38% of respondents prefer this approach. Analyzing the questionnaire data, I believe this is due to a series of factors that characterize the context: first, a highly "individual" activity that can be perfectly managed within the home environment. Second, the low seniority and thus predictably a lower sense of belonging. Finally, the fact that most respondents drive to work, so a model that reduces commutes is more attractive than a hybrid model.